Barcelona

It’s that time of year when Barcelona gets ready for a new edition of the eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon, en event recognised as the best half marathon at a national level. This year sees the event make a return with up to 22,500 runners taking part.

Genzebe Dibaba, in search of a new record

As ever, the Barcelona event will feature world-class men and women athletes. One notable participant is Genzebe Dibaba, an Ethiopian runner with 8 world records to her name, now seeking a new record in the city. The 31-year-old is regarded as one of the world’s finest athletes, the only one to achieve such a high number of universal records. These include the world record in the 1,500 metres (since 2015), an Olympic silver and a dozen world titles in cross-country, indoor and outdoor track events. Dibaba comes to the city with the goal of beating Florence Kiplagat’s current record of 1h05’09”, set in 2015.

Ideal circuit

Besides covering an iconic route through the heart of Barcelona, this year’s edition is also one of the fastest in the world. The fast and easy route offers all runners the chance to notch up a great finishing time. As many as 48 athletes crossed the finish line in under 1h05’ in 2020, while 134 went below 1h10’, highlighting how the flat circuit is designed for runners to break records and enjoy the city of Barcelona.

The Barcelona event will also boast the Elite Label, awarded by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). This recognition is given to events held on asphalt which comply with certain requisites such as organisational quality, safety, the sporting level of elite athletes, registered brands and more.